


First Steps by babs

by babs



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-17
Updated: 2011-04-17
Packaged: 2017-10-18 05:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/185345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babs/pseuds/babs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Daniel's friendship is crashing and burning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Steps by babs

"...Back to St..gate...help...equip...underst...over..."

Carter's voice cut out on the radio and Jack turned to Daniel. "Looks like you'll get your wish to stay here longer."

Daniel hunched his shoulders in the pouring rain and nodded. "We won't be exploring anything if this rain doesn't let up. The ground at the ruins is unstable enough."

"We? Who said anything about we? I was planning on getting some fishing done." Jack tried joking but it felt miserably flat to him. He continued staring at the raging river--dark with mud. His team was safe--although separated by said river and a landslide that had come with the heavy rains. He was grateful for that. Carter and Teal'c had been with native guides, headed up towards the mines that the headwoman of the village had described to Daniel. Now those guides and half his team were on the other side of the river while he and Daniel were on this side with no way to get home.

"Sajana says the river will recede with time," Daniel told him as one of the villagers on their side spoke rapidly.

Jack nodded. "Any idea how long?" He waited while Daniel translated and then listened for the reply. He had an idea of how long when Sajana had opened and closed his hands a few times.

"Twenty, thirty days," Daniel told him. He hunched his shoulders again and grimaced.  
Jack winced in sympathy although he made sure Daniel didn't see it. The dunking in the river had done a number on Daniel--a scrape marred his right cheek and there was a bruise forming on the other cheek that promised a black eye. He had no idea what lurked under Daniel's soaked uniform.

"That's what I thought," Jack said. He tapped Daniel on the back and turned him in the direction of the village. He was wet, cold, and mud was in places he'd rather not think about. "What say we play nice and make some new friends?"

"Sounds good." Daniel made another grimace as he began walking beside Jack with Sajana taking the lead. He coughed and turned his head to spit.

Jack understood. They needed to get out of their wet clothes and into dry ones. Their little dip in the river had not been on the agenda for the day. Jack gave a sidelong glance at Daniel who trudged along with his head down. He looked miserable--probably feeling worse over the loss of their packs with his camera and mission notes than he was over the fact that, for now, the Stargate was out of reach.

The village wasn't a long walk, but squishy socks in soaked boots didn't make for a fun time of it. Jack and Daniel were hustled into one of the long lodges while the children were shooed out into the rain. They didn't appear to mind, Jack noticed. The order from the headwoman was met with glee and even as he and Daniel stripped and washed by a fire pit, the laughter and squealing of children playing could be heard inside the lodge. Jack attempted to sneak a peek at Daniel to assess his injuries, but Daniel managed to undress and get into the tunics provided without giving Jack much more than a glimpse of a bruised shoulder.

Jack accepted one of the beautifully woven blankets with gratitude and noticed Daniel doing the same. Daniel stumbled into a sitting position with little grace and pulled his blanket tighter.

One of the women said something and Daniel simply nodded.

"Hey!" Jack grabbed for his clothes when she began gathering up the sodden mess.  
"Daniel, a little help here."

The woman ignored him and slapped at his hand.

"She's going to wash them for us," Daniel explained, a small smile, the first Jack had seen since the whole debacle began, appearing. He said something to the woman and she nodded. She sighed as she left the lodge--complete with their clothes.

"You know it would be a lot easier if when we stepped through the gate, there was some sort of universal translator thingy," Jack grumbled--more to get a rise out of Daniel than anything else.

"Oh yes, because we all know English should be the universal language," Daniel replied and rolled his eyes. He shivered and moved a little closer to the fire.

"I'm just sayin'Â "

But Daniel didn't reply, he just sat there with his eyes closed and head bowed.

Jack reached out and put his hand on Daniel's forehead. Now that got a rise out of him.

Daniel's eyes shot open and he glared at Jack. "What are you doing?"

"You're not acting exactly normal," Jack said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daniel said and then pinched his lips together in a way that meant stay out of my business. Daniel pulled the blanket tighter and hunched over, body language screaming what his words did not. Keep back. Leave me alone.

"Just forget it," Jack said. He retreated, biding his time. Damn it, when had he and Daniel lost their way? When had his team lost being a team? Had it been the run-in with Machello's little bugs? His apparent betrayal? The appendicitis? The whole showdown between him, Daniel, and Alar? Anise and her armbands? Reese? Jack rubbed his face. His team was falling apart, especially his friendship with Daniel, and it was his job to repair the damage. And especially the damage between him and Daniel. What was it his mom had told him years ago? It's never too late fix things? Mend your fences before the cattle runs away? Whatever, the sentiment was the same.

The warmth of the fire started to penetrate the cold and damp and Jack leaned back against one of the lodge-poles and closed his eyes.

* * * *

Daniel's quiet murmur woke Jack from a nap he hadn't intended on taking. He sat up and groaned as strained muscles let themselves be known. A group of men knelt before them with wooden cups and one was ladling something from a pot.

"Daniel?"

"Soup," Daniel said. "Made with meat from the best part of the Kltin beast."

Jack's mouth began to water as the smell of the rich broth hit his nose. The generosity and hospitality of the people they'd met over the years never ceased to amaze him. He wondered why it was always those with the least to share who were the most generous with their offerings to guests. He felt humbled in their presence.

"Thank you," he said when he was handed a wooden cup. The answering smile let him know his words had been understood even if he didn't speak their language.

One of the men turned to Daniel and began to speak, motioning toward the entrance of the lodge.

Daniel replied and smiled as the men left as quietly as they'd come.

"What was that about?" Jack asked as he took a mouthful of the hot soup. It was good-- very good. The Kltin beast must be this world's version of deer, the taste reminiscent of venison.

"The children would like us to attend a dance this evening. They've devised some entertainment for us."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You up to it?" He couldn't help but notice Daniel was moving slowly--he was sure there were plenty of bruises he couldn't see.

"I'm fine," Daniel said. "Besides, how often do we get to spend time, really spend time, with another culture?"

And score one for the pissed off archaeologist. It's not my fault, Jack wanted to say. It's not my idea to have every mission searching for weapons. I'm just doing as I'm told.

Yeah, right, O'Neill, he thought as he drained his cup, watching Daniel carefully. You're copping out. Losing your moral compass. Jack set the cup aside, the broth turning bitter in his mouth.

"Opportunity knocks," he said lightly. He didn't like the way Daniel looked at him warily. He spread his hands in a gesture of truce. "Finish that up, and we'll go do the meeting and greeting. Maybe you can teach me a few words, huh?"

The brief answering smile he got in return was worth it. So worth it.

* * * *

Rain, rain, and more rain. The canopy of the forest protected them somewhat but there was a constant dripping and everything down to his skivvies was damp.

Daniel turned his head and coughed and went right back to talking to an elderly man. The man scraped the ground with a large stick and then began to draw in the wet dirt. Jack peered at it closely--it appeared to be a map. He didn't have the slightest idea what Daniel and the man were talking about and turned his attention to some of the children who were playing nearby.

One of them held her head and fell to the ground. From the look of the others it was all part of the game, and none of the adults appeared to be alarmed. The other children stretched her out on the ground and crouched around her. One of the boys took off an animal claw necklace he wore and placed it in her clasped hands. They gathered in a circle around the girl and walked around her, singing a slow, quiet song.

Jack suppressed a shiver and looked away, back to Daniel and the old man.

"There are drawings in a cave not far from here," Daniel told him. "I think they may give us a clue of how these people defeated the Goa'uld or at least a reason why the Goa'uld haven't visited here in a long time."

Jack nodded. There was no reason they couldn't make the best of their time here. They could go to the cave and be back by nightfall.

One of the children--an older girl fell to her knees and began to wail and embraced the "dead" girl.

"What are they playing?" he asked Daniel.

Daniel watched the children a moment, his head tilted slightly as he listened. "She's pretending to be the girl's mother. She says she doesn't wish her daughter to be with the spirits of the forest. She doesn't want her daughter to be dead. Come back, come back."

"They're reenacting a funeral?"

"Well, not exactly a funeral, but obviously some sort of mourning ritual." Daniel turned to the older man and asked him something in a quiet voice.

The man swallowed hard and when he spoke, his voice cracked.

Daniel said something to him that could have only been sympathy and motioned for Jack to walk a short distance away. "Two years ago, many of the children became ill. Only two of the ten that were ill survived. Tolona said that the shaman was able to cure them with an ancient remedy, but that it was not successful in all cases."

"Tell him I'm sorry for their loss. That my sympathies are with them," Jack instructed Daniel. He knew the value of children in a society such as this one. They were the hope for the future, the keepers of heritage, the ones who walked forward. He knew the pain of losing a child---and the hole it put in one's heart.

Daniel nodded and placed his hand on Jack's shoulder without saying a word. He squeezed gently and then walked over to Tolona and spoke again.

Jack didn't care if it was selfish but he was glad when the children got up from their game and ran off in an impromptu game of tag.

* * * *

The cave was dry--that was the best thing about it. Jack stood guard at the entrance while Daniel explored the large room with Sajana. Low murmurs registered in Jack's consciousness while he kept an eye on the forest.

The sound of footsteps close behind him had Jack turning.

"Sajana suggested we come back tomorrow," Daniel said and rubbed at his forehead. "I think we'd be wise to follow his advice."

Jack gave a quick glance around the cavern. To his eyes, this was a veritable paradise for Daniel. The previous day's dunking in the river must have taken more from him than he was admitting. As far as Jack could reckon, it was going to be a few days until Carter and Teal'c and the other SG teams were able to get back to the village. Heading back early wasn't going to hurt--and a little extra rest wouldn't hurt either of them.

"Okay," he agreed. He didn't miss the brief look of surprise that crossed Daniel's face before settling back into neutrality.

They were both fools, Jack thought as they headed back towards the village--Daniel in the lead with Sajana and uncharacteristically quiet. Stubborn and sure of themselves fools.

Daniel stumbled on the path and was righted by Sajana before Jack could reach his side.

"I'm fine," Daniel said in English. It wasn't much, but it offered hope that the lines of communication were still open.

* * * *

Jack came into the lodge and spied the men sitting in a circle near the fire pit. He approached them, ready to pull Daniel to the side to let him know that he'd established spotty communication with Carter. They were making slow but steady progress clearing the damage. It hadn't been more than a few words but Jack was sure it would cheer Daniel.

Daniel wasn't there. One of the men looked up from the game they were playing with a board and some stones and pointed towards the back of the lodge. Jack smiled his appreciation.

Daniel was on his side, facing the wall--the same position he'd been in when Jack had left more than three hours ago.

"Daniel," Jack said, leaning over him. He nudged him with the toe of his boot.

"Unh."

Okay, it wasn't coherence but it was something. But it also wasn't like Daniel to sleep for three hours in the middle of the afternoon. A knot forming in his stomach, Jack crouched next to his friend.

"Daniel?" Jack touched Daniel's exposed wrist and frowned at the heat he felt. "Daniel, come on. Wake up for me here." He shook Daniel's shoulder and was rewarded with a brief glimpse of blue eyes.

"Naah." Daniel closed his eyes again. "Hurrs."

  
That knot suddenly became a lot bigger. "C'mon. I need you to wake up." Jack pinched the web of skin between Daniel's thumb and forefinger.

Daniel opened his eyes again. "Jack."

"I need to know what's going on," Jack told him. He put his hand on Daniel's cheek. "Migraine?"

Daniel swallowed hard and closed his eyes again. "Light hurts. Ache."

"Where?"

There wasn't an immediate response.

"Stay with me, Daniel," Jack ordered. Maybe the friend couldn't reach him, but Jack was sure the colonel could.

Daniel blinked at him. "Up." His breath quickened.

Jack placed a hand at the back of Daniel's neck and put his arm around his shoulder to help him sit, the heat from Daniel's body surprising him. "You gonna throw up?" He watched Daniel take a few deeper breaths and bring the nausea under control.

"No. Fine."

"I don't think you're fine," Jack said. He shifted position and put his hand on Daniel's forehead. "You're burning up."

A confused gaze met his. "It's cold." If Jack hadn't heard it, he wouldn't have believed it but it sounded like an honest-to-goodness whine.

"We'll get you another blanket," Jack told him. Damn, he didn't even have an aspirin to give Daniel.

Daniel let out a cry of pain as Jack moved slightly. "Hurts."

"What?"

"Hurts," Daniel told him again. Mono-syllabic speech from Daniel was never a good thing, Jack decided. Daniel tried to push away from him and let out a moan. Daniel's breath sounded congested--more than a simple cold. Daniel gave a tight cough as if he couldn't manage more than that.

Oh crap. Crap, crap, and double crap. No, this was not happening. It couldn't be. Jack's stomach twisted.

Jack felt Daniel shudder under his arm and looked around desperately for something to use as a bucket. But it was too late and Daniel threw up over the blanket and their legs. Too worried to be disgusted, Jack shrugged off his jacket and used the sleeve to wipe Daniel's face. Daniel, however, was too out of it to appreciate the gesture. He threw up again and again until he sagged weakly in Jack's grip--worn out and nearly unconscious.

Jack looked up to see the men standing around them. Sajana pointed at Daniel and said something Jack didn't understand. Damn, and damn again.

"He's sick," Jack said. Oh, real smart there, O'Neill, he admonished himself. Like the stench wouldn't be enough to let them know.

Another man said something else and then a conversation with emphatic gestures began. Jack didn't know what they were saying--only that they were not happy and they were arguing about something.

"Come," Sajana said. "Ohnel come." He reached out and tugged on Jack's arm at which several of the others made disapproving sounds.

"Daniel needs me. I'm not gonna leave him here," Jack told them. God, Daniel was hot and Jack didn't like the way his breathing seemed so shallow.

Sajana crossed his arms over his chest and glared. Jack wondered if the young man had picked up the gesture from Daniel. "Ohnel, Danul, come." He pointed to the closest doorway.

"C'mon, Daniel." Jack heaved them both to their feet, swallowing hard at the stench of vomit. Daniel sagged in his arms and made no effort to move. "Little walk here."

They walked out into another downpour. Jack hoped that the rain would wash away some of the mess and maybe help cool Daniel down. Daniel only moaned and let Jack half drag him towards a small lodge Sajana indicated.

The lodge was warm, a fire already burning in the center pit. Jack lowered Daniel onto some animal skins that were spread along one wall. He turned to look at Sajana, who had not entered behind them.

"Water," Jack told him. "I need water." When Sajana continued to stare at him, he took a few short steps towards the door and held out his hand in the rain. "Water," Jack said, pointing to his wet hand. "Water for Daniel."

Sajana nodded and then pointed to Jack's clothes. "Ohnel, Danul." He pulled on his own skin shirt as if he were taking it off, then he pointed to the ground. "Here."

Jack nodded and stripped off his jacket and t-shirt and put it on the ground. "I'll get Daniel's," Jack said. "Now, water. Please."

"Water," Sajana repeated and opened his hand to the rain before he turned and took off at a run.

Jack finished stripping out of his vomit-spattered clothes and then went back to Daniel's side. "Give me a little help here," he said as he undressed Daniel, who made no effort to help. Damn, the bruising was worse than he'd thought. It was quite apparent Daniel had been slammed by a number of rocks before he'd been pulled from the river. A long scratch on Daniel's leg felt hot and swollen.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered before he continued his assessment. It didn't feel as if there were any broken bones. Whether or not there were internal injuries, he couldn't tell. How Daniel had kept going for over a day, he didn't know. Sometimes Daniel's stubbornness was more a hindrance than a blessing. He frowned at the heat from Daniel's body and turned him on his side before bundling the stinking clothes into a pile and depositing them outside the lodge.

"Water," Sajana said as he appeared with a bucket. He set it on the ground and then stepped a short distance away from the entrance to the lodge, watching.

"Look, Daniel's sick. We need to get help for him. The team's coming here..." Jack trailed off and scrubbed his hand over his head. "You have no idea what I'm saying." He picked up the bucket of water and thrust his chin in Daniel's direction. "I'll just be...in here."

Jack went to Daniel's side and tried his best to ignore the crack and click from his knee as he knelt down by the pallet. Stupid rain, stupid weather, stupid flood. Jack felt his jaw tighten and his hand cramp as he realize how tightly he was clutching the scrap of cloth in the bucket.

One step at a time, he told himself as he wrung out the cloth. He began to wipe down Daniel's body, his alarm growing as Daniel showed no response to the cool water on his skin. This wasn't good. Wasn't good at all. Daniel's fever heated the cloth. He patted Daniel's cheek.

"Daniel!" He tried the loud approach. "Wake up."

He may have felt slightly foolish yelling at Daniel to wake up when they were alone in a hut, but Jack felt the lump in his gut ease just a bit when Daniel opened his eyes.

"Hey, you with me here?" Jack wiped Daniel's face with the cloth.

"Hnnh." Daniel moved his hand and then frowned. "Sha're, my clothes?"

"Daniel, look at me."

"Jack? You here?"

"You're sick. I need to know what's going on." Jack shook Daniel's shoulder when Daniel closed his eyes.

"Chest hurts."

Okay, so that was helpful---not. "Anything else hurt? Head? Neck? Back? Stomach?"

Jack sighed when he realized Daniel was asleep again. He finished his task in silence and then picked up his radio. He didn't know how badly it had been damaged in their dunking in the river. He mentally crossed his fingers as he attempted to contact Carter.

There was a crackling sound which didn't bode well, and he wasn't sure his radio was even transmitting.

"...Under...bridge...const...time..." Okay, maybe Carter hadn't come in loud and clear but Jack had always been good at reading between the lines and the news wasn't good.

He thumbed his radio and prayed his own message would get through. "Daniel's sick. Need medical help ASAP. Repeat, Daniel's sick. Medical help needed."

There was no response for a time and then Carter's voice came through again. "Sick...underst...med...pri..."

Jack frowned as the radio cut out with a loud crackle that made his ears ring. He'd have to see what he could do with it later on, once he managed to get Daniel's fever down a bit.

"Help's on the way," Jack said. He wasn't sure whether he'd said it to reassure Daniel or himself.

* * * *

Voices woke Jack. Funny--he didn't remember falling asleep. He rolled his shoulders in a vain attempt to relieve some of the ache that had settled there. His heart pounding, he reached out to touch Daniel's forehead. The fever wasn't gone, but Daniel didn't feel any warmer than he'd felt earlier.

"Ohnel." That was Sajana.

Jack got up with little grace and made his way to the door of the lodge. He peered out into the dim greyness of the dawn.

"Help," Sajana told him, and gestured at the older man standing beside him. "Help Danul."

Jack looked from Sajana to the other man who had feathers tied into his long hair. He carried two animal skin pouches and leaned to one side as if to see into the lodge.

"Shaman?" Jack asked. When the man wrinkled his brow in confusion, Jack tried again. "Healer?" Damn he wasn't good at this. "Um, make better?"

Sajana smiled. "Yes. Make better. Danul sick no more."

He didn't really have a choice, Jack knew. Nothing he was doing was getting the fever lowered and he hadn't been able to get more than a few sips of water down Daniel's throat. "Thank you," he said to Sajana and stepped aside to let the shaman enter their lodge.

The man went right to Daniel's side, knelt by the pallet and put his head to Daniel's chest. He made a tsk-ing sound. Jack wondered if healers were the same the galaxy over--he swore he'd heard the same sound from Doc Fraiser.

Daniel groaned as the shaman pulled back an eyelid and tried to pull away.

"Don't fight the help," Jack told him and held Daniel's wrists lightly when he pushed blindly in the shaman's direction.

"Ohnel," the shaman said and touched the back of Jack's hand. When Jack looked at him, he tapped Jack's fingers. Jack frowned and opened his hand. The shaman opened one of the pouches and a yellowish goo oozed from it into Jack's palm.

"Ewww." At the shaman's frown, he shook his head. "Just sayin'. Sorry." He did his best to look contrite and watched as the shaman emptied the other pouch into his own hand.

"Ohnel," the shaman said again and began to spread the goo over Daniel's chest. He looked at Jack and thrust his chin towards Daniel's bare legs.

Jack made a face as he started to smear the substance on Daniel's legs. It was cool under his fingers and made them tingle. He looked at the shaman who was making sure the goo covered very inch of Daniel's skin. Jack turned back to his task, intent on his task. Daniel pulled his foot away when Jack reached it--a clumsy movement but at least it was some sort of movement, Jack told himself. He clamped his other hand on Daniel's ankle and smeared the goo over Daniel's foot and toes, forcing himself to ignore the grunts and moans coming from Daniel. He had to trust the shaman--had to trust that these people had a cure or at least something that would lower the fever until help arrived.

They finished the job in silence because really, what could he say to a man whose language he couldn't understand. Jack hoped his eyes communicated his gratitude. Daniel lay on the pallet, covered in the slimy yellow goo. The shaman went to the door of the lodge and said something in a low, urgent voice.

"You feeling better?" Jack asked Daniel. He rested his fingertips on Daniel's hair while Daniel moaned and moved restlessly. He decided to take it as a good sign--it meant Daniel was in there somewhere.

The shaman returned carrying a stack of lightweight blankets. He placed them at the foot of the pallet and then pointed to Daniel and to Jack's eyes before he reached for one. He began to wrap Daniel in the blankets, bundling him in a way Jack remembered Sara being taught to do for Charlie. Swaddling, he thought the nurse had called it at the time. The shaman handed him a blanket and Jack began the process on Daniel's legs, wrapping carefully and then pausing while the shaman inspected his work. The older man patted him on the shoulder and pointed for him to continue.

"Ohnel drink."

Jack looked up in surprise to find a cup being held in front of his face. He took it and sniffed it cautiously. It smelled like cinnamon and licorice.

The shaman made a drinking motion with his hand. "Ohnel drink." He put his hands up to the side of his face and tilted it sideways.

"I have to stay awake," Jack said and glanced at Daniel, who appeared to be resting comfortably now that he was all snug as a bug in a rug.

"I wake," the shaman said. He moved closer to Jack and put his hand under the cup. "Drink."

Jack knew he shouldn't but he felt as though he had no choice. The cinnamon/licorice smell filled his senses and the liquid settled gently in his belly. He felt himself tipping sideways and then there was nothing.

* * * *

There was pressure on his shoulder and Jack woke up with a start.

"Daniel?" he asked, but the shaman had already moved back to Daniel's pallet and Jack couldn't see his face.

He got to his feet, surprised he wasn't stiff and that all the muscle aches he'd expected weren't there. He felt...rested. Rested and alert.

The shaman was doing something to Daniel and Jack hurried to his side. The man was unwrapping the blankets and he nodded for Jack to help. The blankets were soaked and smelled of sweat.

Jack put a hand to Daniel's forehead and smiled. "Fever's down."

The shaman smiled in return and handed Jack a damp cloth. He made a stroking motion with his hands, and Jack nodded and began to wipe down Daniel's body.

"Hey," Jack said as the shaman bundled the blankets. When the man looked at him in question, Jack paused in his ministrations. "Thanks. You know." He pointed to Daniel and the shaman bowed his head in acknowledgment. "I don't even know your name," he continued. "O'Neill," he said, and patted his own chest before pointing at the shaman. "O'Neill," he said again when the man didn't respond.

"Not gonna tell," a cracked, tired voice said. Jack dropped the cloth on Daniel's chest and looked at his now-awake friend.

"Welcome back," Jack said. Okay, as comments went it was totally inane but what the hell.

Daniel blinked at him and rolled his head to the side as if it took all the effort in the world. "Can't tell."

"He can't tell me his name?" Jack asked. He glanced between Daniel and the shaman. "Why...oh wait. Because it would give me power over him? Take away his?"

"I'm touched," Daniel said, his voice sounding just a bit stronger. "You do listen."

Jack grunted and ran his hand through his hair. "I need to know what's going on here. How are you feeling? And no fudging. I need to know the truth."

"Tired," Daniel admitted and then added a yawn for good measure. "Wrung out. But...nothing hurts." He sounded surprised by that fact. "I remember not feeling so great." He made to sit up and fell back on the pallet before he managed to lever himself upright. "How long?" His voice was breathy from the exertion.

"Not as long as you think." Jack picked up the damp cloth that had fallen from Daniel's chest and dipped it in the water. "A day, no more."

"Huh," Daniel said. He looked at the shaman and even though Jack couldn't understand the words, he knew Daniel was questioning the man. Good, that was good. He needed all the information he could get.

He patted Daniel's shoulder and spoke softly. Jack thought it sounded like an apology before he gathered up his pouches and the blankets and left.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

Daniel looked at him, an expression of confusion on his face. "He said I must choose."

"Choose? Choose what?"

"I have no idea," Daniel said and then coughed wetly. His breathing sounded loud in the small hut. Jack could see his chest heave with the effort. "Jack, if I don't..." He closed his eyes.

"Listen to me. Carter and Teal'c are on their way. You are not going to die." Jack shook Daniel's arm, hard, and when Daniel opened his eyes, he made sure he looked directly at them. "I forbid it. You are going to make it."

"Yeah," Daniel said. He didn't take his gaze from Jack. "Orders are orders," he said and coughed as he fell back asleep.

Jack's gut twisted. This was one order Daniel better make damn sure he followed.

* * * *

He'd managed to get Daniel to eat a little something and drink water, although keeping him awake was harder and harder as the day went on. The shaman came in with more of the yellow goo towards nightfall. Jack worked in silence, saying prayers to a God he wasn't sure was listening as he smeared the goo across Daniel's chest. Daniel's breathing had a wet quality to it and there were times it seemed as if he forgot how to do it--small pauses that were longer than they should be.

"Keep breathing," Jack told Daniel as night fell. "Keep breathing," he said again and again.

The shaman called to someone outside the lodge. He brought back some more blankets and covered Daniel with them. He went to the door once more, brought in a basket and a pot and then sat down near the fire. He handed Jack a bowl and filled it with what looked like beef stew.

"Eat," he ordered. "You eat."

"Thank you." Jack hoped the words were understood. He settled down by the fire and ate alongside the shaman. He had the feeling it was going to be a long night.

* * * *

The night seemed as if would never end. Daniel's fever rose higher.

The shaman left the lodge and Jack continued his task of smearing Daniel with the yellow goo.

"Bet Fraiser's gonna love this stuff," Jack told Daniel, who didn't make any response. "Just think of all the nurses who would be fighting to spread this all over you. At least it doesn't smell too bad, does it? Kinda minty. Minty-fresh." He looked up at Daniel's slack face. "C'mon, buddy. Carter and Teal'c are gonna be here soon. Don't you want to be awake for them? Maybe you won't want to be--not if Doc comes along with her bag of tricks." He rubbed the back of Daniel's hand with his thumb. "For once, follow my order, okay?"

The radio only had static on it when he attempted to establish contact with the others. "Don't worry," he assured Daniel. "Carter's on her way. Probably having fun ordering all those engineers around." He looked at the radio again. Damn it. He resisted the very strong urge to throw the radio against the wall and stomp on it in a fit of pique. Daniel was dying here. Because he knew it. He knew it, the same way he'd known when other teammates from his special ops days were beyond saving. He'd hated it then, he hated it now. Daniel wasn't going to know. Daniel wasn't going to know how sorry Jack was things had gone to hell in a handbasket. Daniel wasn't going to know that no matter what, through all the shit they'd been through, that Jack still considered him one of the finest men he'd ever known--the man who brought out Jack's best, even when Jack felt he was acting his worst.

"Tell him," the shaman said.

"What?" Jack looked up from the radio. "Okay, Twilight Zone time. I can understand you?"

"If it is necessary for you to understand, you will," the shaman said. "You must choose also." He got up from his place near the fire and went to the door. "Can you look at finely-woven cloth and tell where the Maker has begun her craft? Can you tell if one thread is more important than another? The only certainty is that if one thread pulls apart, the cloth unravels. It is time to begin the mending, Jack O'Neill."

Jack took a step towards him but the shaman was through the door and out in the rain before he could ask him any more.

"You know I hate this stuff," Jack said as he went back to Daniel's side. He sighed as he looked down at his friend's slack face. "We're a couple of winners, huh, Danny?" Not surprisingly, there was no answer. Jack took Daniel's hand in his, tracing his fingers over Daniel's palm. There were calluses there--different places than the ones on his own hand. He looked at lax fingers resting in his. It didn't seem right when Daniel was still and quiet.

"What have we made you into?" Jack whispered, because the middle of the night seemed like a time for secrets. "I never wanted you to become like us, to be like me. We need you to remain different. We, I need you to remind me that not everyone is the enemy, that there are more ways to fight than with guns. Heroes aren't always found in the middle of battles." Jack looked around the lodge, even though he knew there was no one else there but him and Daniel, and then leaned closer to Daniel. "I don't know that I've ever told you how much I admire your courage. How much we all depend on you. We care about you. I care about you." Jack's mouth went dry as he looked down at Daniel. His gut twisted and his heart beat faster. Who was he kidding? This was about more than friendship. This was about Jack O'Neill hiding from himself again and again. This was about being a coward and not willing to take a chance. Not with Daniel. He wouldn't risk it with Daniel. "You're my best friend--who'd ever think a geek and a flyboy could be friends, huh?" Jack cleared his throat and then straightened. "And if you ever bring this up again, I'm going to go for the whole denial thing. Got it?" He thought the joking would help. It didn't.

He curled his fingers around Daniel's, and leaned back against the lodge wall and closed his eyes. Maybe if his words didn't get through, his actions would.

* * * *

"Ohnel! Ohnel!" Sajana came into the lodge at a run, heedless of privacy or Daniel's condition. "Come." He pointed out the door and smiled. "Help Danul."

"Carter? Help?" Jack asked. He didn't move from Daniel's side--not when Daniel's breathing was getting worse. Please let it be help, he thought.

"Yes. Yes. Help." Sajana stood at the threshold, obviously torn between helping with Daniel and going to the others.

"Here. Bring them there." Jack made a shooing motion. The shaman came in the door as Sajana left. He said nothing as he came to Daniel's side and knelt.

"We talked. Everything's peachy," Jack said to him. The shaman looked at him for a brief moment before turning his attention to Daniel.

The older man placed a hand on Daniel's forehead and one on Daniel's chest. He murmured something too quiet for Jack to hear. Jack moved around him and settled close to Daniel's head.

Every breath Daniel took now was a struggle. Jack felt his own chest ache with each bubbled inhalation.

"C'mon," Jack told him. "They'll be here soon. Fraiser's gonna be so pissed if you don't make more of an effort."

The shaman tilted his head back and let out a long low wail that sent a shiver down Jack's back.

"He's not...Damn it, he's not...." Jack pushed the shaman's hands away. "Stay away from him." He placed his fingers near Daniel's mouth and nose to feel the heat of Daniel's breath.

"No, no, no." Jack's heart began to race. He tilted Daniel's head back, opened Daniel's mouth and prepared to breathe.

"Sir! Sir!" Hands were on him, hands that pulled him away, and then people in white suits were beside Daniel and Jack couldn't see him anymore.

"Sir?"

Jack looked up from his position on the dirt floor into Carter's concerned face. "He stopped breathing. He's..." He took a deep breath before he stood up. Time to be Colonel O'Neill. "I think he's got pneumonia, Doc," Jack told Fraiser's back.

She waved a hand in acknowledgment but didn't turn her attention away from her patient.

"Are you injured or ill, O'Neill?" Teal'c said from beside him.

Huh. How had he missed someone as big as Teal'c?

Jack shook his head. "Good. I'm good." He tried harder to see what Fraiser and her team were doing to Daniel, but their bodies blocked any good view. The shaman had moved closer and was speaking to Fraiser. He wondered if whatever the man had used to communicate before was working now.

"We're ready to go," he heard Fraiser say and her team was moving with Daniel on a stretcher before Jack could open his mouth.

"I..." Jack looked at the shaman and spread his hands out to his sides. "Thank you," Jack finally said. He couldn't help glancing at the doorway.

The shaman smiled at him and bowed his head. "Remember, Ohnel."

Jack inclined his head in return. "I will."

Then Carter tugged on his arm and he was out in the cool rain and walking towards the Stargate and home.

* * * *

Jack smiled as they crossed the bridge the engineers had built. On the other side, three ATVs awaited them.

"Carter?"

"We didn't know the nature of the medical emergency, so I thought it prudent we be able to return to the Stargate as quickly as possible." She spoke quickly as if she had made a wrong decision.

"Good thinking," Jack told her and she smiled back.

Fraiser was directing the placement of Daniel's stretcher on the first ATV and before Jack, Carter, and Teal'c had settled on another, the first was roaring off into the distance.

"Home, James," Jack told the Marine captain sitting in the driver's seat.

"His name is Murphy," Teal'c said from behind Jack.

Jack shared a brief smile with the driver and then waved a hand. "Home, Murphy."

"Yes, sir," the Marine said with more enthusiasm than Jack could muster.

He strained to see the ATV ahead of them but he couldn't.

Please, he thought as the engine roared into life. Please let him be okay. Let us try again.

* * * *

"Here, sir."

Jack took the coffee mug Carter handed him and took a cautious sip. She'd added sugar but Jack smiled at her despite the sweetness of the beverage and drank some more.

"Thanks, Carter." He lifted the mug in salute.

He hated waiting, even though with his years in the Air Force, he figured he should be good at it. He had checked out fine as had Carter and of course Teal'c, but Fraiser was still holed up with Daniel.

"Any word on Doctor Jackson?"

Jack nearly spilled his coffee at General Hammond's appearance in the infirmary. He made to stand, but the general placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder.

"At ease, Jack." He sat down in one of the empty chairs near Jack's bed.

"Doctor Fraiser is with DanielJackson now," Teal'c said.

They all fell silent then. Jack studied the coffee in his mug before draining it and then got up to pace. He turned when he heard the click of heels on the floor.

"Doc?"

Fraiser looked tired but she smiled. Jack hoped that meant it was good news.

"Daniel's resting comfortably," Janet told them. "He's quite bruised and he has an upper respiratory infection--most likely from his fall into the river." She tapped the chart she held. "The breathing difficulty was caused by a mucus plug."

"Mucus plug, Doctor Fraiser?" General Hammond asked.

"Daniel wasn't coughing up the mucus that was draining into his lungs and a plug of it formed in his trachea."

"Ewww," Jack said. He glanced at Carter who had gone pale from Fraiser's description. Teal'c put his arm over her shoulders when she swayed slightly.

"So...plug, bruises, what else?" Jack asked. He locked his knees as he felt a little light-headed himself.

"We've suctioned Daniel's lungs--not a very pleasant procedure for him, I might add, and have him on antibiotics. He's also on oxygen but by tomorrow, he should be off that." She looked at Jack. "That salve the shaman was using on Daniel was a natural antibiotic. I believe Daniel would be a lot sicker if you hadn't permitted the shaman to treat him." Fraiser smiled again. "How did you know?"

Jack didn't know what to say, and the words that came out of his mouth surprised him. "It's what Daniel would have done in my place."

Fraiser nodded. "Daniel's sleeping right now, but if you'd like to see him, you may." She studied Jack. "And then, sir, I think you need a nice rest yourself."

* * * *

"How's he doing?" Jack asked Warner as he approached Daniel's bed.

"He's stable," Warner answered and studied Jack in a way that only a doctor could. "I trust you rested, sir."

"Are you insinuating that I would defy an order from Doc Fraiser?" Jack raised his eyebrows in mock alarm.

"Don't wake him," Warner warned and then walked away, leaving Jack alone next to Daniel.

Jack stood by the bed, looking down at his friend. He put his hands in his pockets, then tried crossing his arms over his chest, and finally settled on resting his hands on the bedrail

The head of Daniel's bed was raised so Daniel was nearly sitting. Not that it mattered, he was sound asleep. His color was better than it had been the last time Jack had seen him hours ago, but he was still far paler than he should have been. His hair was sticking up in places while at others, it was plastered flat against his skull. The oxygen cannula was still in place although his breathing sounded less labored. He had days' worth of stubble and it only made him look sicker, more vulnerable. See, that was the thing--Jack never thought of Daniel as vulnerable. Of all of them, Daniel was the most resilient--it was like a physical blow to see him brought down like this. Despite his allergies, Daniel rarely got sick. Jack remembered the time SG-1 had eaten some sort of alien stew at a celebration and he and Carter spent the next day hung over a bucket while Daniel was out exploring with Teal'c.

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered. He pulled a stool closer to the bed and sat down. "I'll be here," he promised and reached over the bedrail to cover Daniel's hand with his own.

* * * *

"Unnhhh." The small sound coming from Daniel drew Jack's attention from the file he had spent the last hour reading. He stood up and leaned over the bed.

"Hey. You awake?" Jack peered at Daniel who had his eyes open but didn't seem to be quite with it.

"Huh?" Daniel stared up at him and then gave a tight cough. "Where? We...I thought..."

"Back in the SGC," Jack told him.

"Oh." Daniel brought his hand up as he coughed yet again. He closed his eyes and Jack thought he might have fallen back to sleep. "Sam and Teal'c?"

"They're fine. Carter and Teal'c showed up right after..." Jack cleared his throat. "You know Carter--her timing is impeccable."

"Yeah." Daniel opened his eyes again and turned his head. "Water?" He reached out towards the bedside table and Jack grabbed the cup before Daniel knocked it over.

"Easy," he said as he held it for Daniel.

"Thanks."

"Looks like you're getting some visitors," Jack warned him as Fraiser and a nurse came towards the bed.

Daniel waved his hand in their general direction despite having his eyes closed.

"Doctor Jackson, it's good to see you awake," Fraiser said. "Colonel, if you'll excuse us?"

Jack nodded and stepped away from the bed. He wasn't surprised when Fraiser pulled the privacy curtain around the bed. He could hear Fraiser's voice although he couldn't understand what she was saying to Daniel. His reply was too soft to carry beyond the curtain, but his cough, moments later, wasn't. It went on and on and sounded painful. Jack winced in sympathy. Combined with the bruises, coughing up a lung must have been agony for him.

Fraiser came out a few minutes later and pulled the curtain back. Daniel looked drained and paler than he had before the coughing fit.

"The respiratory therapist is coming in a few minutes," Fraiser said softly to Jack. "You can wait with Daniel until then if you want."

Jack nodded and resumed his place on the stool beside Daniel's bed. The nurse smiled at Jack across the bed and, after checking the IV once again, left.

"Looks like you're gonna have a nice vacation for a few weeks," Jack said. He didn't know if Daniel was awake or not, but he felt the need to communicate something, anything.

Daniel nodded, barely, and appeared to focus all his energy on just breathing.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest, shifted in his seat, and then leaned forward and touched the back of Daniel's hand, a small gesture of comfort and companionship.

* * * *

"Why didn't you let me know Fraiser released you?" Jack asked Daniel as he walked into Daniel's apartment. Of course, he probably would have known it if he'd actually taken the time to go to the infirmary when Daniel was awake instead of waiting to make sure Daniel was asleep before he made his daily visits.

Daniel looked up from his position on the sofa where he sat reading a book. "Why?" His voice was hoarse, probably from all the time he'd spent hacking up a lung.

"You know, that's what friends usually do," Jack replied with a shrug. "Help each other out when things are bad."

Daniel stared at him over the tops of his glasses. He didn't say anything, just continued to look at Jack.

"What? Just sayin'." Jack spread out his hands and finally sat down on the chair across from Daniel.

Daniel shifted and looked down at his book. He remained silent as he ran a finger across the open page. "Is that it?"

The thing was, with Daniel, one never quite knew where a conversation was going. After five, nearly six years of knowing the man, Jack still got thrown off-balance when Daniel's mind was going in a different direction than his own. Still, he didn't think saying, "huh", would go over well.

He could do staring as well as Daniel so he met that direct gaze with one of his own.

Daniel, to his credit, did not back down, but then again, that had never been Daniel's style. Despite the mild-mannered demeanor he showed most of the time, Daniel was pure fire and steel to the core.

"Friendship. You. Me." Daniel put the book aside and swung his feet to the floor. "Lately it seems you'd rather, what was that again, resist every urge to shove me through a wall because you don't like most of what I say?"

"Daniel," Jack began, but he could see Daniel was just beginning.

"I'm not trying to win a popularity contest, Jack. I'm not going to cower behind a rock because you don't want to hear what I have to say. I'm not going to give in to the people who want to turn the SGC into nothing more than a military machine gathering alien technology." He paused and coughed, long and hard, his hand shaking when he held the glass to take a drink of water. He held up his hand when Jack leaned forward. "I don't give a damn if you don't like what I say. I'm not doing the SGC or you any favors if I only say what people want to hear. But I'd hope that you would have the decency to give me the same courtesy of listening that I give to you." Daniel drained the glass and put it down hard on the table. "I don't know where we went wrong, and for any responsibility I have in what's going on, I apologize. I've never denied who I am, and I won't start now." Daniel bent over then, coughing so hard his body shook.

The hell with it. Jack got up and went to sit down beside Daniel on the sofa. He reached out a hand to rub Daniel's back and then pulled it back. "You need some more water?"

Daniel shook his head, his hacking cough subsiding to a smaller one. He straightened and looked at Jack. "I'm fine." Each word said precisely and clipped. "Did you have a reason for coming?" He got up and grabbed the glass before he headed for the kitchen.

Jack sighed and got up to follow. "Yeah. Our next mission has been scrubbed."

"P9Y-4C3. Kelowna," Daniel said as he rinsed out the glass and put it beside the sink. He turned to face Jack. "Why?"

Jack gave him an assessing look. "You really think you're up to gallivanting around some new planet?"

Daniel glared at him a moment and coughed again. He finally shook his head.

"There'll be other people to see, places to go," Jack said. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

Daniel picked up the dishcloth hanging over the faucet and swiped the sink half-heartedly. "Do you want me off the team?" he finally asked as he looked directly at Jack. That was Daniel, never one to hide from the truth.

"Are you, you know?" Jack made a swirly motion beside his head. "Of course not."

"Then tell me this. Where do we go from here?" Daniel stood by the counter, his position mirroring Jack's.

Jack looked down at his shoes. Huh. Soon time to get another pair of sneakers. He wiggled his toes and watched as the scuffed leather moved.

"Just forget it," Daniel said after an uncomfortable silence. "And go home. I'm going to take a nap." He began to walk from the kitchen. "I'll put in a transfer when I get off sick leave."

"Daniel. Wait." Jack took a step away from the counter and reached out towards him.

Daniel turned, his face bleak. "I think..." He shook his head. "We were friends once."

"We still are," Jack told him, wanting desperately for Daniel to understand. Jack took a deep breath. "Don't you get it?"

"What is there to get?" Daniel asked. He held his hands out, the same way he approached the natives they encountered on their trips through the Gate. "Feelings change. It's okay. It's part of life." He glanced away from Jack and towards the door. "Lock the door on your way out, please." He began to make his way towards his bedroom.

"Damn it, Daniel. I love you," Jack said. He took a step back at his own words. Maybe he wasn't such a coward after all. "That's what you need to get."

Daniel came back to his side. "You love me," he said, slow and quiet as if he was translating an inscription in an alien language. He stood silent then, looking at his feet, at Jack's sneakers, at the wall, anywhere but at Jack. Jack waited and said nothing. And then Daniel finally looked at him, a small smile forming on his lips, a smile that meant he'd figured out some ancient secret. "You love me," he said again. "You told me. On the planet. I remember that."

Jack didn't think those exact words had ever come out while Daniel lay so sick and weak on the mission. He was pretty sure he'd skirted around the issue very well considering he hadn't even known for certain until he'd uttered the words a few minutes ago. "Yeah," he said anyway and cleared his throat. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah." Daniel said and moved closer, enfolded Jack in a hug. "Yeah, I'm okay with it."

Jack closed his eyes and returned the embrace. As first steps went it was pretty darn small, but even Everest could be conquered one step at a time.


End file.
